


see you soon.

by takemedowntown



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Emotional goodbye, Episode 5, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mention of 5x12, ian leaving on parole, past emotional conflict, prison goodbye, reassurance, season 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:01:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21652678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemedowntown/pseuds/takemedowntown
Summary: the goodbye they (and we) should have gotten.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 16
Kudos: 131





	see you soon.

**Author's Note:**

> hi there. this took me 10 minutes to write. shameless has no excuse. this is how their goodbye went in my head, although there are hundreds of different possible scenarios. shameless just chose none of them. I hate them. Let me know what you think!

Ian is sat on his designated top bunk, leaned against the wall with his legs tucked up against his chest. His fingers are rapidly drumming the coarse sheets on either side of him as he tries to contain the whirlwind of emotion that is brewing inside of him.

He’s going home today.

Of course he’s excited. Who wouldn’t be? Prison fucking sucks. He misses his family, and hates the fact that he wasn’t present for the birth of his nephew and to see his older brother become a father. That’s the kind of shit in life that eats away at you. 

He also misses his fucking freedom. Although there is no clear path laid out for him once he crosses those gates, since the only career he ever cared about got shot to shit when he blew up that van. So at the moment, the future doesn’t seem all that promising. But at least he has one. 

He begins to tear up as he allows himself to dwell. When he thinks future, he thinks Mickey. How fucking long are they going to be separated for this time? Can’t they ever catch a fucking break? Technically, Mickey could be stuck inside this cell for another couple years. He’s going to wait this time. No matter what. But fuck, how are they supposed to make this work? 

One of the guards should be coming to collect him soon, and Mickey still isn’t back from laundry. The anxiety is building. Is Mickey going to purposefully avoid saying goodbye? That doesn’t seem like him. But then again, neither of them have been acting like themselves these past few days.

Ever since Ian got the date of his release, things have been...fucking heavy. Neither of them quite knows what to say, so there hasn’t been much talking. There’s been a lot of slow fucking and loaded silences. Ian knows what Mickey must be thinking. Last time he was held up in jail, Ian had pretty much completely blown him off. Mickey must be fairly certain that even with Ian’s best intentions, that will eventually happen again. And he’ll be left all alone. 

Ian wishes there was something he could say to assuage all of Mickey’s rightful fears, but he knows there isn’t. All he needs to do now is prove it to him through his actions from the second he leaves this shithole. No more bullshit, no more excuses. He was going through a lot all those years ago after the breakup, and he told himself it was better for both of them if he didn’t visit. But in all reality, he was just being a fucking pussy. It would be “too hard” to see Mickey locked up, after everything that went down. But what about him? Just left to think that only person who ever truly loved him didn’t give a shit.

The only thing more ridiculous were the misguided notions that there was ever anyone else in the world for him but Mickey. Jesus, hasn’t it been clear from the fucking beginning? He is everything. 

Ian is going to marry him, Mickey just doesn’t know it yet.

As time draws on, he wants nothing more than for Mickey to come through that door and into the cell they’ve been cohabiting all these months. They need to say a proper goodbye before this next shitty chapter begins. 

Startled out of his thoughts, he hears the buzz of their cell door opening, and in walks Mickey. 

Mickey mumbles out a quick “hey”, as he avoids eye contact and turns to wash his hands in the sink. Ian immediately sits up in his bunk and watches him, and yet again all words he can think of feel inadequate. Tears begin to sting in his eyes as the gravity of the moment dawns on him. 

But when he sees Mickey’s hands shaking as he brings them down to pat-dry on his jumpsuit, he jumps down from the bunk.

“Mick”, Ian calls out softly to him, with Mickey still facing away.

Mickey turns around and the sight almost brings Ian to his knees. His baby blue eyes are red-rimmed, and tears are quickly forming. 

Ian reaches out to him and brings him in for a tight hug, both of them now softly crying into the others shoulder. 

They stand there for a few minutes just like that, until Ian pulls back and gently grabs the sides of Mickey’s face. 

“It’s not going to be like last time, do you hear me? I’m waiting for you, no matter how fucking long it takes.” 

Mickey looks stricken, and opens his mouth to respond but nothing comes out. 

Ian meets his open mouth with a gentle kiss, within it encapsulating all the passion a single person can muster.

When they part, Mickey brings him back in and squeezes him tight like he doesn’t ever want to let go. 

Their moment is interrupted by the harsh tone of a guard outside in the hall, “Gallagher, it’s time to go.” 

They let go of each other, and it takes everything in Ian to give Mickey a reassuring grin.

“Be good for me, okay?”

Mickey snorts and rubs at his damp face, “Yeah, no fucking promises Gallagher.” 

Ian begins to walk away from him and turns back before he passes through the open door.

“I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah. See ya.” 

+


End file.
